Blue Devils put clamps on Cook

Published 11:00 pm Tuesday, February 1, 2022

TIFTON – The Tift County Blue Devils played solo Tuesday night, but almost did well enough for two.

The Devils barely missed a mercy rule and steamed visiting Cook, 61-34, for their 10th win of the year.

It took three minutes for Tift to score their first point of the game, a free throw by Will Clark. They made up for that over the next 2.5 periods, outscoring the Hornets, 50-20.

Immediately after Clark’s second free throw bounced off the rim, Tyler Parker was there to come down with the rebound and hit a fadeaway jumper. Down 2-0 until Clark’s free throw, they never trailed again.

Tift had an 11-0 run over two minutes, Parker scoring six of the points. Dylan Hall ended the streak, but Henry Gebhart and Davis Byrnes added baskets, both on assists from Ty’Quan Mills.

After falling behind 17-4 after a quarter, Cook found a spark in the second. A.J. Cherry made back-to-back baskets and when Punch Byron came through, Tift’s lead had dwindled to 20-13.

Parker righted the ship with a turnaround jumper. A three by Mills stabilized the lead further before Gebhart ended the half cleaning the glass. The Devils were ahead 29-16.

Six of the first eight points of the third belonged to Tift. Mills was fouled on a drive to the hoop at 6:20. He converted both free throws and, at 35-18, the game was now out of reach and getting worse.

Parker scored four and Mills three during a 9-0 stretch. Ny’Shaun Wallace briefly interrupted the party, but Gebhart sank a three to end the third on a 7-0 streak.

That run included free throws by Gehbart, who had to shoot for Parker, who was injured on a drive. Parker iced his ankle for the rest of the game.

Up 29 points, head coach Tommy Blackshear turned the game over to his bench in the fourth. The youth did their part. Te’Shun Bryant hit from beyond the arc, Triston Boone scored 4 points, McKyler Horne hit a beautiful reverse layup and Jason Cody Morris landed a free throw.

Parker scored 17 points on the night, 13 in the first half. Gebhart added 15 and Mills netted 10. Cook was led by Wallace’s 16.

Tift will be back at home Friday for Colquitt County, which doubles as Senior Night.